Bonds
by Petitio Principii
Summary: Exploring the relationships between Penelo and various other characters through fleeting moments and short stories. Friendship, can be taken as more in any situation. First up, Penelo and Balthier.


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**Bonds**

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**Disclaimer  
**I don't own it.

**Summary  
**Exploring the relationships between Penelo and various other characters through fleeting moments and short stories. Friendship, can be taken as more in any situation.

**Author's Note  
**Yeah, so started something new. So shoot me. I love Penelo.

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**Chapter 1  
**She danced

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This was not happening.

She was alone and tired and hungry and itty-bitty grains of sand stung at her eyes like a tail spear of the Marilith. It swirled around her, trapping her and coiling around her small frame. She couldn't see, she couldn't move, and she couldn't cry for help (which she might not even do if she could, really).

But that wasn't the problem. No, it was far worse: Penelo had lost her dagger. Not that she was particularly attached to it; she had always wanted a cooler weapon anyway. But whenever Penelo eyed those totally awesome ninja swords, Vaan gave her this strange look that quelled any ideas she might have had. She should've gotten one anyway, they probably weren't as easy to...ah, _misplace_.

So without her dagger and with her magic depleted to almost nil after that rather bothersome Dive Talon, she was (for all intents and purposes) completely defenseless. And if – gulp - and _elemental _were to appear (like they usually do in these sandstorms) then she'd be a goner. Poor Penelo, cooked to a crisp, fried to a fillet, so baked they couldn't even find – okay, getting off track. Where were we, now? Oh, yes: Penelo was doomed.

But she could get out of this, she'd survived worse. She just had to walk around a bit to replenish some of her magic and she could handle most which came her way. When the sand finally died down enough to move and she was just about to take that first step down the road of full magic power, there came a low snarl from behind. Penelo turned and sighed because the _last_ fiend she wanted to die by was a _wolf_.

It lunged at her suddenly, so fast in fact that Penelo's instincts took over (hurried by shots of adrenaline) and – bam – she just kicked. Kicking felt good. So she did it again. She turned and kicked and threw in some punches for good measure, and even though she was scratched and beaten she didn't stop.

After time, however, it became apparent that a completely defenseless Penelo and a desert wolf were evenly matched. This was extremely disheartening to Penelo as she could easily take down that wolf if she just had that _stupid dagger_. But she kind of smiled because she bet she looked pretty cool going down at least. So Penelo smiled and giggled and kicked until she was on the ground (and even then there was a slight grin). She closed her eyes and thought about all the things she still wanted to do, to see, to _learn _when – BOOM! The shot rang out, Penelo's eyes sprang open, and she had just enough time to see the wolf fall from a single bullet.

Penelo sighed again, because it would've been better (and less humiliating) to have been saved by Vaan.

"What have we got here?" he questioned in a silky voice that could put you to sleep, but Penelo knew that was just a trick for the women. He was a vulgar sky pirate after all, even if his voice spoke otherwise. He had a cat-like smirk on his face and a familiar dagger attached at the hip.

"What does it look like?" she responded with a bite that was rendered mostly ineffective by its weak tone and her cracking voice. "Now gimme. The dagger."

her attempt to be demanding made him chuckle. "You looked to be doing fine without it." He bent down closer. "Nice style. But that doesn't explain the laughing."

Penelo turned her head to the side so he might not see her blush from embarrassment. She couldn't think of anything cute or witty to say so she just said, "Shut up." There was a few moments of silence before Balthier cast a quick Cura and reflected to himself that the only way to move her was to carry her. This all would've been very sweet if he carried her in his arms (which, no doubt, he would've done if she wasn't just some annoying kid), but unfortunately – and rather uncomfortably, Penelo was carried as if she were a sort of sack.

When they reached the cave (which was more like a small dent in the surrounding rock face) the Cura had completed its effect for the most part and Penelo had no choice but to mutter a humble "Thank you." He acknowledged her with a simple nod of his head, which made Penelo feel all the more embarrassed and stupid.

"Where did you learn to fight like that on the streets of Rabanastre?"

Astonishingly, his curiosity at least _seemed_ genuine and he _had _saved her, so Penelo felt he deserved an answer. She didn't want to tell him about her brothers (it seemed to personal since they were...you know) so she opted for the second reason. "I'm a sort of dancer."

His surprised look was odd and not seen by her often. "You _dance_?"

"Have to eat somehow," Penelo muttered, then immediately covered her mouth. Maybe he didn't hear. He wasn't supposed to know, none of them were. How would they treat her and Vaan now that they knew they weren't just "not rich", but filthy, gil-pinching orphan street rats? Even then Penelo could see the wheels turning in Balthier's head: why Vaan was so apt to steal from fiends, why Penelo was always so frugal with merchants. Of course he heard her.

The silence lingered for what seemed to Penelo like forever-or-something-real-close and it had a quality that was almost suffocating. Her fears echoed in her head all the while; Vaan, he would be so mad at her. And just when Penelo was going to get up and make some lame excuse to leave (like getting firewood, which of course was difficult in the _Westersand_) when that slithery sky pirate uttered two words that nightmares were made of.

"Show me."

Penelo (who was already halfway off the ground) jumped and shuddered at that because even if you're good at something, showing someone (especially someone so _critical_) is uncomfotable and just plain scary. But he was staring at her so intently and so unnervingly and she just wanted the gaze to stop (or did she want it to continue?) so she did the only thing she could think of to do.

She danced.

And did she ever dance. She twisted and twirled and because just moving felt so good she closed her eyes and smiled. She danced like she was in a dream, smooth and glittering, until it became apparent that the whole show was something that belonged on stage or in a beautiful clearing, not in the dent-in-the-rock used as protection of sand.

She stopped, because it had to end eventually. When she opened her eyes, he was still staring, and his mouth was parted open a little because it was amazing. Penelo diverted her eyes since she knew she was blushing once again, partly from exertion, partly from his stare, partly from embarrassment, and partly because she was kind of proud. He didn't have anything fitting to say, and she didn't either, so they lapsed into a sort of comfortable silence not at all like those that preceded it.

When they were sure the sporatic sandstorms had died down enough for longer travel, they exited the cave (which, by now, had an odd kind of sentimental value). Balthier offered to carry her again, but she insisted she was fine. She had a feeling, though, that this time he might've (just _might've_) carried her in his arms this time. She followed him back to the others with a smile on her face, and even though she was behind him she thought he might have been smiling a little as well.

When they arrived back at the makeshift camp, Penelo ran up to hug Vaan because, well, she missed him. She also felt bad about what she had revealed. She grinned and waved to the others, all of which returned her smile, but only Basch waved back. It was getting dark, but the party had enough tinder with them so that Fran could magic a fire into life. They all gathered around the fire and ate and laughed. Vaan recommended they all sing (which seemed like a joke at first), to which Ashe looked extremely distressed. Basch believe it to be a great idea, however, (A fine way to raise their spirit, of course!) so they ended up doing it.

Those who sang (Mainly Vaan and Basch, since it was something they had done before either with orphans or on the banks of war) picked music they felt attached to, so at the very least it was a learning experience. Even Fran relented once, and the wood-song was lovely. So they all continued to grin and laugh and clap, and it was all great fun. Finally, Penelo raised herself from the ground, catching Balthier's gaze. There seemed to be a a sort of twinkle in his eye, telling her what to do, but it could've just been the firelight. She rose from her place, but she didn't sing.

She danced.

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**Author's Note  
**Well, I don't think I've ever used the words embarrassed, smile, or silence in one piece in my life. But I think those words define their relationship, so I'm not dissapointed. Poor Penelo, I always make her get so flustered in this one. ee Feedback is greatly appreciated! 


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